They said it would be easy.

One clean kill. In and out before the palace even stirs. She’s just a girl, a princess locked in a tower, soft and sheltered—an easy mark. I’ve done this before. Killed kings, lords, heirs. I never hesitated. Never cared. But tonight, something’s different.

I’m standing outside her chamber, in the shadows, just a few steps from her door. My dagger is right there at my side. My orders are clear.

But I don’t move.

I’ve been watching her for weeks—tracking her routine, learning her habits. At first, it was just part of the job. But then I started noticing things I shouldn’t: How she hums when she thinks no one’s listening. How she talks to the stars like they answer her.

She’s not what I expected. She’s not what they said.

And now I’m standing here, frozen. Not because I can’t kill her. I can. But because—for the first time—I don’t want to.

And that makes me dangerous. To her… and to myself.